Gender Wellness Clinic

The Heartwood Program is pleased to offer an interdisciplinary clinic providing support, education, and resources to adolescents, their parents, and young adults. In a world that is governed by labels and categories, our team provides a space that is open, inclusive, and flexible. To ensure that each individual and family’s unique needs are understood, we will meet with you and provide our recommendations for next steps.

Our adolescent, parent, and young adult groups offer longitudinal support, and we have established relationships with experts in the community that allow us to provide support and referrals when appropriate. As you learn more about yourself, we hope to partner with you in protecting your health and well-being.

The clinic serves:

-adolescents ages 11-17 who identify as lesbian, gay, trans, gender nonconforming, gender queer, questioning, nonbinary, intersex, and asexual

and

-young adults ages 18-25 who identify as trans, gender nonconforming, gender queer, and nonbinary.

Description of Services

LGBTQ+ Adolescent Support Group: participants meet weekly to share experiences in a safe and affirming space with other LGBTQ+ peers. Through opportunities to share concerns and voice support, members build confidence in expressing themselves in ways they may not be able to do in other parts of their lives. Topics can be initiated by group members or the therapist. The therapist ensures that all members are heard and respected.

Interdisciplinary Evaluation for Process Groups: a comprehensive clinical assessment regarding an individual’s gender development and identity. Two clinicians (a therapist and a physician) participate in the evaluation to provide a multimodal approach as well as guide recommendations for next steps after the evaluation.

Adolescent Process Group: participants meet weekly to share their struggles and seek support and insight from other trans and non-binary peers. It is a safe place to experiment with being vulnerable about gender and broader teen issues as well as take social risks that ultimately lead to greater feelings of acceptance. Process group is also a place for participants to address dynamics in the group. The therapist guides participants around how to examine feelings as they arise and to express them in affirming ways so that they can learn about themselves in relation to others.

Parent Support Group: a discussion group resource for parents of children and adolescents who are trans-gender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary. This group aims to provide both support and education. It provides a forum for parents to express themselves and also addresses topics relating to youths’ developmental stages. This group provides a safe space to ask questions, process feelings, and learn from peers and experts. From the biological basis of gender identity to advocating for equal access in public spaces, a broad range of topics are addressed based on the needs expressed by the parents in group

Young Adult Process Group: participants meet weekly to share their struggles and seek support and insight from other trans and non-binary peers. As with the Adolescent Process group, it is a safe place to express being vulnerable about gender and other life concerns, to take social risks leading to greater feelings of acceptance, and to experience how navigating group dynamics can improve social interactions in life. Unique to the YA group is a focus on the particular challenges of young adults – including facing the need for increased independence and decision-making. The therapist guides participants around these themes and how to process related feelings in age-appropriate ways.

Have questions or to request an an intake: Fill out our Service Requests Form or call us at (301) 970-4099.